Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is basically multiple services bundled into a single monthly payment. The largest subscription is often referred to as "Netflix for Games," and that's a pretty accurate moniker.
With it, subscribers get Xbox Game Pass for console, the PC version, Xbox Live Gold, EA Play, and access to Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly known as Project xCloud) on Android and iOS devices, all in one. This means you can choose from a variety of games, play them all online, and you may never need to buy a game on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, or Xbox Series X again.
If you haven't tried Xbox Game Pass Ultimate yet, but the price has put you off, keep an eye out for discounts throughout Black Friday 2022. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions have a chance to be among the best Black Friday Xbox deals, only or as part of a larger package.
For the first time, this means you don't even need to own an Xbox or PC to play your favorite games. You can stream them from the cloud to your phone, or even through an upcoming Xbox Streaming Stick and your Oculus Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro in the future. The service is such a central pillar of Xbox's strategy that you can buy any of the new consoles with it as part of the Xbox All Access service.
With a host of third-party games arriving on the service almost every week, plus big additions like Halo Infinite arriving on day one, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can also take advantage of all the first-party games arriving on launch day. Best of all, your Xbox Live Gold monthly fee is included. So it's a good deal, even if you're just a console gamer.
Consider the PC version of Game Pass to play even more titles, plus the addition of EA Play on both platforms and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and you'll never run out of games to try ever again. Feel limited to one device. .
Xbox game streaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming means the Xbox ecosystem is now accessible to those who wouldn't even consider buying a console. It is currently available on Android, iOS, PC, and directly through the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
Here's everything you need to know about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, including how much it costs and what it offers.
- Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at Best Buy for €14.99 (opens in a new tab)
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
What is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
While Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass are two different services, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundles the two and then a whole host of other benefits.
While Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass will set you back €9.99 / €7.99 / AU$10.95 each, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers both for €15 / €10.99 / AU$15.95 per month, and also includes Xbox Live Gold (now only available annually in many territories, which costs €60,00 / €50,00 / AU$80,00). You also get EA Play, which costs €4.99 / €4.99 per month and Xbox Cloud Gaming at no additional cost.
If you're hoping to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for an even cheaper price, we've got good news. Although currently only being tested in the Republic of Ireland and Colombia, Microsoft plans to launch an Xbox Game Pass family plan, which allows you and up to four players to participate for a monthly cost of €21,99, which is around €21,99 / €19.99 / €32.99.
Subscribers can download great titles on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC like Doom Eternal, Forza Horizon 5 and Gears 5. Then you can play whenever you want and try out titles that are compatible with previous generations of original Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles. , thanks to Xbox's extensive backward compatibility program.
Since Xbox Live Gold is also included, you'll be able to jump right into a game of Rainbow Six Extraction or any other multiplayer title on the service like Sea of Thieves. PC gamers won't need to pay to play online, but they can still choose from a large number of games to download. Releases like Crusader Kings 3, along with first-party hits like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, can be found in the Xbox app for Windows 10.
Add the EA Play catalog and you also have Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Skate. Previously an additional $4.99 / £4.99, it's now free for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
Oh, and did we mention that 20 Bethesda games are now on Xbox Game Pass as well? As part of Microsoft's acquisition of the company, you can now access games like The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Prey, Fallout 76, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood to name a few.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also offers its own unique perks, with digital items for free titles like Warframe, as well as game-adjacent bonuses like Discord Nitro and Spotify subscriptions. Speaking of extras, players can complete "quests" by trying new games and scoring achievements, redeemable for gifts and gift cards, although it will take time to get them. Still, it's a good incentive to try new games.
Although the games are not permanently fixed on the service, you will receive plenty of notice before the titles are released. If you want to permanently add them to your collection, you'll get 20% off as well as 10% off any DLC for games in the Game Pass library.
As we mentioned above, gamers can even play many of the included titles on their phones, at least if you have an Android device. Over 50 games also support touch controls, so you don't even have to connect an Xbox wireless controller or pay for a dedicated mobile gaming gamepad like the Razer Kishi.
You'll need a solid connection (and 5G is likely to increase your chances of a lag-free experience), but it's something that opens up the Xbox ecosystem to millions more potential gamers, and it's a nice bonus for those who already play. on Xbox or PC.
Rival Sony has since pulled PlayStation Now, its own subscription service, and merged it with a newly revamped PS Plus. As such, you'll need to subscribe to the top tier, PS Plus Premium, which doesn't guarantee day-one access to Sony's catalog. Even if you just went with the standard Xbox Game Pass, you'll get a lot more for your money with Microsoft.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: design and interface
Since Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is made up of multiple pieces, it doesn't necessarily have a unified interface. Instead, there's the Xbox app on PC, as well as a section on the Xbox Dashboard (which is now unified between Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X consoles).
For console users, it's hard to miss: Microsoft has put Game Pass almost front and center on the home screen. By simply pressing a few buttons, users can start browsing the catalog. Each game has a trailer, screenshots, and file size, so you can put as many as you can on your hard drive. You can also see at a glance if you have any upgrades for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
You can also filter by genre, see what your friends are playing, ask the app to "surprise me" or search for recommendations. It is similar to Netflix and also shows games that have been added recently or are going away soon. The "My Games & Apps" menu will also display Game Pass or EA Play titles, so you can easily find them among the games you've purchased.
For PC users, you'll find Game Pass inside the existing Xbox app, which means you won't have to worry about downloading additional launchers. Games don't have to be launched from the app either, which means you can manage installations from Control Panel, just like installing the game from the Microsoft Store (which, by the way, is where games are updated). ).
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Content Library
Taking perks, quests, and Xbox Live membership out of the equation, it's time to answer the question: what to play?
Xbox Game Pass offers around 470 console titles, all of which can be downloaded and played locally, while PC gamers have around 440 to enjoy. That number continues to grow as there are now over 20 Bethesda games on the service, and EA Play has added over 50 titles to the mix as well.
Xbox Game Pass for console and PC offers a healthy mix of genres and games, so expect indie darlings like Slay The Spire and Dead Cells to sit alongside Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and Sea of Thieves on both platforms. However, some games will only be available on console or PC.
Then there are big-budget third-party titles like Doom Eternal and Rainbow Six: Siege on console, while PC gamers can enjoy new releases like Wasteland 3 and popular titles like ARK: Survival Evolved. Destiny 2 is also available for console players, with the release of the Beyond Light expansion on Game Pass.
Not only is Microsoft looking to pick up plenty of upcoming content, but Game Pass also has plenty of backward compatible titles to get your teeth into, doubly so with EA Play adding everything from Plants vs Zombies to Peggle to sports titles and Need For Speed it up. Algunos títulos compatible con versiones anteriores también se han mjorado con FPS Boost, que tiene el potencial de cuadruplicar la velocidad de fotogramas de un juego.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: What we liked
- A simple, all-in-one subscription service that offers incredible value for money
- EA Play bolsters an already sizeable library of titles
- Many additional benefits, including free digital content and discounts.
- Xbox Live Gold included, which allows for online gaming as well as mobile cloud gaming
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: What we didn't like
- Cloud Gaming won't be for everyone